<h2>Name</h2>
<p>
It is derived from the words <em>Inna fatah-na laka fat-han mubina</em> of the
very first verse. This is not only a name of the Surah but also its
title in view of the subject matter, for it deals with the great
victory that Allah granted to the Holy Prophet and the Muslims in the
form of the Truce of Hudaibiyah. 
</p>
<h2>Period of Revelation</h2>
<p>
Traditions
concur that it was sent down in Dhil-Qadah, A. H. 6, at a time when
the Holy Prophet was on his return journey to Madinah after concluding
the Truce of Hudaibiyah with the disbelievers of Makkah.
</p>
<h2>Historical Background</h2>
<p>
The events in connection with which this Surah was sent down began life
this: One day the Holy Prophet saw in a dream that he had gone to
Makkah with his Companions and had performed the umrah there. Obviously,
the Prophet's dream could not be a mere dream and fiction for it is a
kind of Divine inspiration as Allah Himself has confirmed in verse 27
below and said that He Himself had shown that dream to His Messenger.
Therefore, it was not merely a dream but a Divine inspiration which
the Holy Prophet had to obey and follow. 
</p>
<p>
Apparently, there was no
possible way of acting on this inspiration. The disbelieving
Quraish had debarred the Muslims from proceeding to the Ka'bah for the
past six years and no Muslim had been allowed during that period to
approach the Kabah for the purpose of performing hajj and umrah.
Therefore, it could not be expected that they would allow the Holy
Prophet to enter Makkah along with a party of his Companions. If they
had proceeded to Makkah in the pilgrim garments with the intention of
performing umrah, along with their arms, this would have provoked the
enemy to war, and if they had proceeded unarmed, this would have meant
endangering his own as well as his Companions' lives. Under conditions
such as these nobody could see and suggest how the Divine inspiration
could be acted upon. 
</p>
<p>
But the Prophet's position was different. It
demanded that he should carry out whatever Command his Lord gave
fearlessly and without any apprehension and doubt. Therefore, the Holy
Prophet informed his Companions of his dream and began to make
preparations for the journey. Among the tribes living in the suburbs
also he had the public announcement made that he was proceeding for
umrah and the people could join him. Those who could only see the
apparent conditions thought that he and his Companions were going into
the very jaws of death none of them therefore was inclined to
accompany him in the expedition. But those who had true faith in Allah
and His Messenger were least bothered about the consequences. For them
this information was enough that it was a Divine inspiration and
Allah's Prophet had made up his mind to carry it into effect. After
this nothing could hinder them from accompanying the Messenger of
Allah. Thus, 1,400 of the Companions became ready to follow him on
this highly dangerous journey. 
</p>
<p>
This blessed caravan set off from
Madinah in the beginning of Dhil Qa'dah, A. H. 6. At Dhul Hulaifah
they entered the pilgrims robe with the intention of umrah, took 70
camels with collars round their necks indicating that they were
sacrificial animals; kept only a sword each in sheaths, which the
pilgrims to the Kabah were allowed to carry according to the recognized
custom of Arabia, but no other weapon. Thus, the caravan set out for
the Ka'bah, the House of Allah, at Makkah, chanting the prescribed
slogan of <em>Labbaik, Allahuma Labbaik</em>. 
</p>
<p>
The nature of the relations
between Makkah and Madinah in those days was known too well to every
Arab. Just the previous year, in Shawwal A. H. 5, the Quraish mustering
the united strength of the Arab tribes had invaded Madinah and the
well known Battle of the Trench had taken place. Therefore, when the
Holy Prophet along with such a large caravan set off for the home of
his blood-thirsty enemy, the whole of Arabia looked up with amazement,
and the people also noticed that the caravan was not going with the
intention to fight but was proceeding to the House of Allah in a
forbidden month in the pilgrims garb carrying sacrificial animals and
was absolutely unarmed. 
</p>
<p>
The Quraish were confounded at this bold step
taken by the Holy Prophet. Dhil-Qa'dah was one of those forbidden
months which had been held as sacred for pilgrimage in Arabia for
centuries. Nobody had a right to interfere with a caravan which might
be coming for hajj or umrah in the pilgrims garb in this month; so much
so that even an enemy tribe could not hinder it from passing through
its territory according to the recognized law of the land. The
Quraish therefore were caught in a dilemma, for if they attacked this
caravan from Madinah and stopped it from entering Makkah, this would
arouse a clamor of protest in the whole country, and all the Arab
tribes would have the misgiving that the Quraish had monopolized the
Ka'bah as exclusively their own, and every tribe would be involved in
the mistrust that now it depended on the will of the Quraish to allow
or not to allow anyone to perform hajj or umrah in the future and that
they would stop any tribe with which they were angry from visiting the
Ka'bah just as they had stopped the Madinese pilgrims. This they
thought would be a grave mistake, which would cause the entire Arabia
to revolt against them. But, on the other hand, if they allowed
Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) and his large
caravan to enter their city safely, they would lose their image of
power in Arabia and the people would say that they were afraid of
Muhammad. At last, after a great deal of confusion, perplexity and
hesitation they were overcome by their false sense of honor and for
the sake of their prestige they took the decision that they would at
no cost allow the caravan to enter the city of Makkah. 
</p>
<p>
The Holy
Prophet had despatched a man of the Bani Ka'b as a secret agent so
that he may keep him fully informed of the intentions and movements of
the Quraish. When the Holy Prophet reached Usfan, he brought the news
that the Quraish had reached Dhi Tuwa with full preparations and they
had sent Khalid bin Walid with two hundred cavalry men in advance
towards Kura'al-Ghamim to intercept him. The Quraish wanted somehow to
provoke the Holy Prophet's Companions into fighting so that they may
tell the Arabs that those people had actually come to fight and had
put on the pilgrims garments for umrah only to deceive others.
</p>
<p>
Immediately on receipt of this information the Holy Prophet changed
his route and following a very rugged, rocky track reached Hudaibiyah,
which was situated right on the boundary of the sacred Makkan
territory. Here, he was visited by Budail bin Warqa the chief of the
Bani Khuza'ah, along with some men of his tribe. They asked what he
had come for. The Holy Prophet replied that he and his Companions bad
come only for pilgrimage to the House of Allah and for going round it
in worship and not for war. The men of Khuza'ah went and told this to
the Quraish chiefs and counseled them not to interfere with the
pilgrims. But the Quraish were obstinate. They sent Hulays bin Alqamah,
the chief of the Ahabish, to the Holy Prophet to persuade him to go
back. Their object was that when Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace)
would not listen to Hulays, he would come back disappointed and then
the entire power of the Ahabish would be on their side. But when
Hulays went and saw that the whole caravan had put on the pilgrims
garments, had brought sacrificial camels with festive collars round
their necks, and had come for doing reverence to the House of Allah
and not to fight, he returned to Makkah without having any dialogue
with the Holy Prophet and told the Quraish chiefs plainly that those
people bad no other object but to pay a visit to the Ka'bah; if they
debarred them from it, the Ahabish would not join them in that,
because they had not become their allies to support them even if they
violated the sacred customs and traditions. 
</p>
<p>
Then the Quraish sent `Urwah
bin Mas'ud Thaqafi; he had lengthy negotiations with the Holy Prophet
in an effort to persuade him to give up his intention to enter Makkah.
But the Holy Prophet gave him also the same reply that he had given to
the chief of the Khuza'ah, that they had not come to fight but to do
honor to the House of Allah and carry out a religious duty. Urwah
went back and said to the Quraish: "I have been to the courts of the
Caesar and Khosroes, and the Negus also, but by God, never have I seen
any people so devoted to a king as are the Companions of Muhammad
(upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) to him. If Muhammad makes
his ablutions they would not let the water thereof fall on the ground
but would rub it on their bodies and clothes. Now you may decide as to
what you should do." 
</p>
<p>
In the meantime when the messages were coming and
the negotiations were going on, the Quraish tried again and again to
quietly launch sudden attacks on the Muslim camp in order to provoke
the Companions and somehow incite them to war, but every time they did
so the Companions' forbearance and patience and the Holy Prophet's
wisdom and sagacity frustrated their designs. On one occasion forty or
fifty of their men came at night and attacked the Muslim camp with
stones and arrows. The Companions arrested all of them and took them
before the Holy Prophet, but he let them go. On another occasion 80
men came from the direction of Tan'im right at the time of the Fajr
Prayer and made a sudden attack. They were also caught, but the Holy
Prophet forgave them, too. Thus, the Quraish went on meeting failure
after failure in every one of their designs. 
</p>
<p>
At last, the Holy Prophet
sent Hadrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) as his own
messenger to Makkah with the message that they had not come to fight
but only for pilgrimage and had brought their sacrificial camels along,
and they would go back after performing the rite of pilgrimage and
offering the sacrifice. But the Quraish did not agree and withheld
Hadrat Uthman in the city. In the meantime a rumor spread that Hadrat
Uthman had been killed; and when he did not return in time the Muslims
took the rumor to be true. Now they could show no more forbearance.
Entry into Makkah was different for there was no intention to use
force. But when the ambassador was put to death, the Muslims had no
alternative but to prepare for war. Therefore, the Holy Prophet
summoned all his Companions together and took a solemn pledge from
them that they would fight to death. In view of the critical occasion
it was not an ordinary undertaking. The Muslims numbered only 1400 and
had come without any weapons, were encamping at the boundary of Makkah,
250 miles away from their own city, and the enemy could attack them in
full strength, and could surround them with its allies from the
adjoining tribes as well. In spite of this, none from the caravan
except one man failed to give his pledge to fight to death, and there
could be no greater proof of their dedication and sincerity than that
in the cause of Allah. This pledge is well known in the history of
Islam as the pledge of Ridwan. 
</p>
<p>
Later it was known that the news about
Hadrat Uthman was false. Not only did he return but under Suhail bin
'Amr from the Quraish also arrived a deputation to negotiate peace
with the Holy Prophet. Now, the Quraish no more insisted that they
would disallow the Holy Prophet and his Companions to enter Makkah.
However, in order to save their face they only insisted that he went
back that year but could come the following year to perform the umrah.
After lengthy negotiations peace was concluded on the following terms:
</p>
<OL>
<p>
<LI> War would remain suspended for ten years, and no party would
indulge in any hostility, open or secret, against the other. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> If
any one during that period from among the Quraish went over to Muhammad,
without his guardian's permission, he would return him to them, but if
a Companion of Muhammad came oven to the Quraish, they would not
return him to him. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> Every Arab tribe would have the option to join
either side as its ally and enter the treaty. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> Muhammad and his men
would go back that year and could come the following year for umrah and
stay in Makkah for three days, provided that they brought only one
sheathed sword each, and no other weapon of war. In those three days
the Makkans would vacate the city for them (so that there was no
chance of a clash), but they would not be allowed to take along any
Makkan on return. 
</p>
</OL>
<p>
When the conditions of the treaty were being settled,
the whole of the Muslim army was feeling greatly upset. No one
understood the expedience because of which the Holy Prophet was
accepting the conditions. No one was far sighted enough to foresee the
great benefit that was to result from this treaty. The disbelieving
Quraish looked at it as their victory, and the Muslims were upset as to
why they should be humiliated to accepting those mean conditions. Even
a statesman of th calibre of Hadrat Umar says that he had never given
way to doubt since the time he had embraced Islam but on this occasion
he also could not avoid it. Impatient he went to Hadrat Abu Bakr and
said "Is he (the Holy Prophet) not Allah's Messenger, and are we not
Muslims, and are they not polytheists?  Then, why should we agree to
what is humiliating to our Faith?" He replied "O Umar, he is surely
Allah's Messenger, and Allah will never make him the loser."
Unsatisfied he went to the Holy Prophet himself and put the same
questions to him, and he also gave him the same replies as Hadrat Abu
Bakr had given. Afterwards Hadrat Umar continued to offer voluntary
prayers and give aims so that Allah may pardon his insolence that he
had shown towards the Holy Prophet on that occasion. 
</p>
<p>
Two things in the
treaty were highly disturbing for the Muslims first, the second
condition, about which they said that it was an expressly unfair
condition, for if they had to return a fugitive from Makkah, why
should not the Quraish return a fugitive from Madinah? To this the Holy
Prophet replied: "What use would be he to us, who fled from us to
them? May Allah keep him away from us!And if we return the one who
flees to us from them, Allah will create some other way out for him."
The other thing that was rankling in their minds was the fourth
condition. The Muslims thought that agreeing to it meant that they
were going back unsuccessful and this was humiliating. Furthermore,
the question that was causing them feel upset wad that they had
accepted the condition of going back without performing the pilgrimage
to the Ka'bah, whereas the Holy Prophet had seen in the vision that
they were performing tawaf at Makkah. To this the Holy Prophet replied
that in his vision the year had not been specified. According to the
treaty conditions, therefore, they would perform the <em>tawaf</em> the
following year if it pleased Allah. 
</p>
<p>
Right at the time when the
document was being written, Suhail bin 'Amr's own son, Abu Jandal, who
had become a Muslim and been imprisoned by the pagans of Makkah
somehow escaped to the Holy Prophet's camp. He had fetters on his feet
and signs of violence on his body. He implored the Holy Prophet that
he help secure his release from imprisonment. The scene only increased
the Companions' dejection, and they were moved beyond control. But
Suhail bin 'Amr said the conditions of the agreement had been
concluded between them although the writing was not yet complete;
therefore, the boy should be returned to them. The Holy Prophet
admitted his argument and Abu Jandal was returned to his oppressors.
</p>
<p>
When the document was finished, the Holy Prophet spoke to the
Companions and told them to slaughter their sacrificial animals at
that very place, shave their heads and put off the pilgrim garments,
but no one moved from his place. The Holy Prophet repeated the order
thrice but the Companions were so overcome by depression and dejection
that they did not comply. During his entire period of apostleship on
no occasion had it ever happened that he should command his Companions
to do a thing and they should not hasten to comply with it. This
caused him a great shock, and he repaired to his tent and expressed
his grief before his wife, Hadrat Umm Salamah. She said, "You may
quietly go and slaughter your own camel and call the barber and have
your head shaved. After that the people would automatically do what
you did and would understand that whatever decision had been taken
would not be changed." Precisely the same thing happened. The people
slaughtered their animals, shaved their heads or cut their hair short
and put off the pilgrim garb, but their hearts were still afflicted
with grief. 
</p>
<p>
Later, when this caravan was returning to Madinah, feeling
depressed and dejected at the truce of Hudaibiyah, this Surah came down
at Dajnan (or according to some others, at Kura' al-Ghamim), which
told the Muslims that the treaty that they were regarding an their
defeat, was indeed a great victory. After it had come down, the Holy
Prophet summoned the Muslims together and said: "Today such a thing
has been sent down to me, which is more valuable to me than the world
and what it contains." Then be recited this Surah, especially to Hadrat
Umar, for he was the one who was feeling most dejected. 
</p>
<p>
Although the
believers were satisfied when they heard this Divine Revelation, not
much longer afterwards the advantages of this treaty began to appear
one after the other until every one became fully convinced that this
peace treaty indeed was a great victory: 
</p>
<OL>
<p>
<LI> In it for the first time
the existence of the Islamic State in Arabia was duly recognized.
Before this in the eyes of the Arabs the position of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) and his Companions was no more
than of mere rebels against the Quraish and other Arab tribes, and they
regarded them as the outlaws. Now the Quraish themselves by concluding
this agreement with the Holy Prophet recognized his sovereignty over
the territories of the Islamic State and opened the way for the Arab
tribes to enter treaties of alliance with either of the political
powers they liked. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> By admitting the right of pilgrimage to the
House of Allah for the Muslims, the Quraish also admitted that Islam
was not an anti-religious creed, as they had so far been thinking, but
it was one of the admitted religions of Arabia, and like the other
Arabs, its followers also had the right to perform the rites of
hajj and umrah. This diminished the hatred in the Arabs hearts that had
been caused by the propaganda made by the Quraish against Islam. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> The
signing of a no-war pact for ten years provided full peace to the
Muslims, and spreading to every nook and corner of Arabia they
preached Islam with such spirit and speed that within two years after
Hudaibiyah the number of the people who embraced Islam far exceeded
those who bad embraced it during the past 19 year or so. It was all
due to this treaty that two years later when in consequence of the
Quraish's violating the treaty the Holy Prophet invaded Makkah, he was
accompanied by an army 10,000 strong, whereas on the occasion of
Hudaibiyah only 1,400 men had joined him in the march. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> After the
suspension of hostilities by the Quraish the Holy Prophet had the
opportunity to establish and strengthen Islamic rule in the
territories under him and to turn the Islamic society into a full
fledged civilization and way of life by the enforcement of Islamic law.
This is that great blessing about which Allah says in verse 3 of Surah
Al-Ma'idah:"Today I have perfected your Religion for you and completed
My blessing on you and approved Islam as the Way of Life for you."
(for explanation, see Introduction to Surah Al-Ma'idah and its E. N. 15).
</p>
<p>
<LI> Another gain that accrued from the truce with the Quraish was that
being assured of peace from the south the Muslims overpowered all the
opponent forces in the north and central Arabia easily. Just three
months after Hudaibiyah, Khaiber, the major stronghold of the Jews,
was conquered and after it the Jewish settlements of Fadak, Wad-il
Qura, Taima and Tabuk also fell to Islam one after the other. Then all
other tribes of central Arabia, which were bound in alliance with the
Jews and Quraish, came under the sway of Islam. Thus, within two years
after Hudaibiyah the balance of power in Arabia was so changed that
the strength of the Quraish and pagan gave way and the domination of
Islam became certain. 
</p>
</OL>
<p>
These were the blessings that the Muslims gained
from the peace treaty which they were looking upon as their defeat and
the Quraish as their victory. However, what had troubled the Muslims
most in this treaty, was the condition about the fugitives from Makkah
and Madinah, that the former would be returned and the latter would
not be returned. But not much long afterwards this condition also
proved to be disadvantageous for the Quraish, and experience revealed
what far reaching consequences of it had the Holy Prophet fore seen
and then accepted it. A few days after the treaty a Muslim of Makkah,
Abu Basir, escaped from the Quraish and reached Madinah. The
Quraish demanded him back and the Holy Prophet returned him to their
men who had been sent from Makkah to arrest him. But while on the way
to Makkah he again fled and went and sat on the road by the Red Sea
shore, which the trade caravans of the Quraish took to Syria. After
that every Muslim who succeeded in escaping from the Quraish would go
and join Abu Basir instead of going to Madinah, until 70 men gathered
there. They would attack any Quraish caravan that passed the way and
cut it into pieces at last, the Quraish themselves begged the Holy
Prophet to call those men to Madinah, and the condition relating to
the return of the fugitives of itself became null and void. 
</p>
<p>
The Surah
should be read with this historical background in view in order to
fully understand it.
</p>

